Letting Kids Have TVs in Their Rooms Is Stupid & Not Just Because It Makes Them Fat

After hearing about a recent study that determined that kids who have TVs in their bedrooms are more likely to be fat and suffer from heart disease and diabetes, my initial reaction was one of pure shock.

And I wasn't shocked because having their own, personal TV apparently makes kids more sedentary due to more time spent watching said TV, which in turn makes them fat. It was the fact that there are parents who let their kids have TVs in their bedrooms that really threw me for a loop.

Maybe I'm stuck in the stone ages or something, but are there really that many kids out there who have TVs in their rooms that researchers found it necessary to do a study on it?

Ok, before I go any further, let me just make it perfectly clear that I'm not saying TV is a bad thing by any means. I have absolutely no problem with my son watching TV, and even though I'm sure this won't win me any fans, I actually think he's learned quite a bit from the good old tube. Let's be honest, it's helped me get through many stressful days over the course of the past few years.

But when it comes to him watching TV, I've also been very careful about what sorts of programs I let him tune in for, which is why the only TV in our house is the flat screen in our living room. Not once have I ever considered putting one in his bedroom, mainly because I just don't see a need for it, but also because it gives me much less control over what he does and does not watch.

With kids who do have their own TVs, isn't there a much greater chance of them turning it on when mom's not looking and watching something completely inappropriate and possibly scary (like the local news)?

I'm just not willing to take that risk with my son, and aside from that, I really cannot justify a reason for why any child would need a TV in his or her bedroom.

I never had one in my room growing up -- not even when I was in high school. Come to think of it, the first time I had a TV in the same room I slept in was when I moved into my first college dorm. I never felt like I was missing out on some privilege for not having one as a kid, and frankly, I highly doubt my son notices the TV's absence either.

Even if we reach a day where he begs and begs for one in his room when he gets a little older, there's no way I'm giving in. You have to draw the line somewhere as a parent -- period.